Con: Bronchial stenting and laser airway surgery should not take place outside the operating room

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ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY and increasing health care costs have inspired more procedures to be done outside of traditional “operating room” locations. Because many of these procedures tend to be less invasive and require a shorter recovery time, there may be an attempt to do procedures that could compromise the patient’s safety. Any time attempts are made to move a procedure to a nonoperating room location, it must be done only after carefully considering the potential complications of the procedure and its impact on patient safety. American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines for nonoperating room anesthetizing locations must also be addressed. These guidelines require ”appropriate gas supplies and gas scavenging, sufficient space to accommodate necessary equipment and personnel, expeditious access to the patient, appropriate monitoring equipment, and a postanesthesia care facility.” 1 Guidelines for nonoperating room anesthetizing locations (approved by ASA House of Delegates on October 19, 1994, and last amended on October 15, 2003) Google Scholar